Date of Death: July 31, 2019 (91)
Birth Place: New York, NY, USA
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Hal Prince was a theater producer and director who has made a significant contribution to Broadway musicals in America. In a career spanning more than fifty years, Prince has received ten Drama Desk Awards as Outstanding Director and 21 Tony Awards for Best Direction, Best Producer, Best Musical, and Lifetime Achievement. In addition, Prince was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1994 and the recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 2000.
Prince received his education at University of Pennsylvania, where he enrolled in a liberal arts program and was actively involved in the student theater group, Penn Players. After graduating in 1948, he returned to New York and began working as an assistant stage manager to producer and director George Abbott. This experience led to co-production opportunities with Robert E. Griffith and Frederick Brisson, resulting in the first two musicals that won Tonys for Prince - The Pajama Game (1954) and Damn Yankees (1955).
After several co-productions, including the classic West Side Story in 1957, Prince began to produce his own musicals. Fiddler on the Roof (1964) enjoyed enormous success with a record-breaking run of over three thousand performances between 1964 and 1972.
Prince was also a celebrated director with hits including Cabaret (1966), Sweeney Todd (1979), Evita (1979), and The Phantom of the Opera (1988).
Besides his achievements as a producer and director, Prince is also known for bringing innovation to the theatrical arts. In collaboration with Stephen Sondheim, he was a pioneer in the development of the "concept musical," taking its departure from an idea or theme rather than from a traditional story. Their first project of this kind, Company (1970), was a solid success and paved the way for other innovative musicals.
Prince's contribution to the arts extends beyond the musical theater: he made a number of movie adaptations (Damn Yankees 1958, A Little Night Music 1977), and directed for television (Candide 1986). In addition, he served as a trustee for the New York Public Library and on the National Council of the Arts of the National Education Association.
Prince's final Broadway work was fittingly Prince of Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, co-directed with Susan Stroman, which was a revue of his most prolific work, and featured cast members playing a version of Prince. The production included fully staged hits from such celebrated musicals as West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Evita, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, The Phantom of the Opera and more, in an unforgettable tribute to an unmatched Broadway career.
From: Photo Coverage: Hal Prince Gets a Royal Welcome Back at PRINCE OF BROADWAY Rehearsals!
From: Photo Coverage: Hal Prince Gets a Royal Welcome Back at PRINCE OF BROADWAY Rehearsals!
From: FREEZE FRAME: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Celebrates 25th Anniversary Curtain Call!
From: FREEZE FRAME: Mayor Proclaims January 26th THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Day!
The North Carolina Theatre names Eric Woodall as the new Executive Artistic Director. With 30 years of experience in the field, Woodall's leadership promises a bright future for Raleigh's premier professional theatre.
The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction will return to the heart of New York City’s Theater District on Sunday, October 1, 2023, and has added more tables from beloved Broadway shows and extraordinary auction lots.
The Board of Directors of The North Carolina Theatre (NCT) has announced its new leader. Raleigh’s premier professional theatre names Eric Woodall as the new Executive Artistic Director.
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts just announced that its special event 'Chita Rivera in Conversation with Memoir Co-author Patrick Pacheco' has been canceled this evening, September 18.
Play On Shakespeare, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to exploring the world of Shakespeare in performance through translation and adaptation, today announces their Fall 2023 Season.
It’s time to visit your Broadway happy place. The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction will return to the heart of New York City’s Theater District with unique collectables, unparalleled experiences and celebrated stars on Sunday, October 1, 2023.
For the first time in Israel, Internationally acclaimed performer Isaac Sutton will welcome Broadway Star Kaley Ann Voorhees (Phantom of The Opera) as they embark on an Israeli concert tour in November 2023 with the show 'Broadway-Israel'. Learn more about the show and how to get tickets here!
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023 Broadway Cast Recording) has been released on September 8 on streaming and digital platforms. Listen to the full album here, and find out where you can stream or download it now!
An all new track has been released from the upcoming 2023 Broadway revival cast recording of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In the video here, listen to 'Wait,' performed by Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford!
BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that Tony award-winning Broadway set and costume designer Franne Lee, best known for her work on Hal Prince's Sweeney Todd and Candide, has passed away. She was 81.
Discover the world premiere of 'Child Support' at Camden Repertory Theatre. This urgent and wildly inventive play examines single parenthood and financial responsibility in an immersive experience that will leave you questioning the unspoken rules of the 'Child Support Game'. Book your tickets now.
Award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre has announced the 2023 Scene Changers who will be honored at Porchlight ICONS: Celebrating Ben Vereen, Friday, Sept. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the Athenaeum Center, 2936 N. Southport Ave.
La leyenda de Broadway Chita Rivera publica hoy 29 de agosto sus memorias en español bajo el título CHITA.
Sweeney Todd star Josh Groban will return to the Broadway production of Sondheim's musical classic this week following a brief bout with Covid-19.
Sweeney Todd star Annaleigh Ashford has tested positive for Covid-19.
Warner Music Group's ARTS MUSIC and REPRISE RECORDS have announced the track list for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2023 Broadway Cast Recording), which will be released on streaming and digital platforms on Friday, September 8.
Tony-nominated Sweeney Todd star Josh Groban has tested positive for Covid-19.
Learn about the exciting announcement of honorary co-chairs, Broadway veterans Felicia P. Fields and Kenny Ingram, and the talented cast for Porchlight's production of PORCHLIGHT ICONS: CELEBRATING BEN VEREEN. Don't miss this star-studded celebration of a legendary performer.
Learn how Sondheim made Sweeney sing and how Mr. Todd made his mark on mass media in Part 2 of SWEENEY TODD, A History.
Since 1979, Stephen Sondheim’s take on the Victorian myth about an exiled barber who pairs up with a cunning pie maker to seek revenge on the men who wronged him has delighted and enthralled audiences with its thrilling score, pitch black humor, and chaotic plot, but what is the real story behind this penny dreadful turned musical delight? Was there a real Sweeney Todd? Where did the story come from? And, most pressingly of all, what inspired Sondheim to spin this nauseating nightmare into gothic musical comedy gold? The answers just might surprise you as we delve into the history of Sweeney Todd.
Hal Prince has appeared on Broadway in 1 shows.
Hal Prince has not appeared in the West End
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